Moreau Integration One Assignment


The Beginning of My Notre Dame Journey

Week 1 - Searching for Belonging
Root Belief: I believe that I am searching for friends who allow me to feel comfortable to be my
most vulnerable self.

Back in Seattle, I had a very solid group of friends who I felt comfortable being my most
honest self with. I was never scared to be vulnerable with them, and we often spent hours and
hours letting our guards down and discussing even the most difficult topics. Thus, I had a hard
time coming to Notre Dame, where my old friends, the people who know me to my absolute
core, were nowhere as accessible to me as before.

Being a new student at Notre Dame, I’m often nervous to fully be myself. WIthout the
safety of my friends, I feel the need to put on a cool exterior. Subconsciously, this has led me to
try and control my image and become someone I’m not entirely, which is not only unhealthy but
a hindrance to being vulnerable. Through Brene Brown’s Ted Talk, “The Power of Vulnerability,” I
realized that this was because I lacked the courage to be willing to let go of who I think I should
be in order to be who I am. But if I want to create the same meaningful relationships I had in
high school with my peers here, it is absolutely necessary I follow Brown’s messages. I admit,
I’m scared to know that I must be vulnerable with a whole new group of people. Still, I plan on
taking these crucial steps because I know that in the end it will provide with the deep
connections every student should leave with at Notre Dame.

(“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One)

Week 2 - Searching for Self-Knowledge
Root Belief: I believe that honest reflection is the best way to grow as my most authentic self.

My time during quarantine was a period of much self growth. For the longest time, I lived
my life in a constant state of work. I was always busy, there was always something that needed
to be done, and I never had the opportunity to relax and reflect on myself. Thus, when the stay
at home mandates were first introduced, I was truly alone with my thoughts for the first time in a
while. To be honest, I was scared to be alone and have all this time where I would be able to
completely devote myself to reflection.

In his Ted Talk, “Should You Live for Your Resume or Your Eulogy,” David Brooks credits
the teachings of Joseph Soloveitchik when he quotes that the humble side of our nature “is built
by fighting [our] weaknesses.” He continues to say “you go into yourself, you find the sin which
you've committed [...] you wrestle with that sin, and out of that wrestling, that suffering, then a
depth of character is constructed.” I believe that this quote is representative of the process I
eventually went through in quarantine. This message was important to me because it reminded
me that becoming my most authentic self is not an easy process that comes over night. In fact,
fighting my weaknesses is an ongoing journey that takes strength and time to embark on. At
Notre Dame, I hope to continue this journey of reckoning. It is even more essential that I do so
since when adjusting to a new environment, it can be easy to lose yourself. Honest, deep
reflection is the only way to keep myself grounded.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be


(“Should You Live for Your Resume or Your Eulogy” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two)

Week 3 - Searching for a Framework
Root Belief: I believe that I should lean on my faith during times of hardship.
Focus Question: In what ways does faith inform how I see the world?

I’ve always considered myself to be a person filled with faith, but not a person dedicated
to my faith. Referencing back to the constant state of work I mentioned before, I’ve always
believed that I was far too busy to truly focus on that aspect of my life. And even though I now
attend a Catholic University, I’ve felt that way even more here at Notre Dame.

Indeed, the school work at Notre Dame is not easy. And after being in quarantine where
my homework was easier for so long, I was genuinely shocked by the rigor of the academics
here. In fact, it has become so preoccupying that I haven’t had the opportunity to take some
time to relax and reflect on myself and my relationship with God. However, like Father Pete
says, I need to understand that it is actually in these times of stress that I should be reaching
out to God through prayer. Stresses will always be a constant in my life, just like Father Pete’s
shoelace knots. The real quest is not to try and diminish all of these stresses, but instead to
embrace them and grow stronger through them with the help of God’s grace.

(“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Father Pete - Moreau FYE Week Three)

Week 4 - Searching for Life-Giving Relationships
Root Belief: I believe that I deserve to be in relationships that promote an optimistic mindset

In high school, I led a club on the importance of healthy relationships. In this club we
often discussed the ten signs of a healthy and unhealthy relationship and why it is essential we
are equipped with the knowledge to recognize these signs. Many of these signs were similar to
the ones mentioned in the Grotto article. In particular, one section that stood out to me was titled
“They only talk about negative things.” Coming to Notre Dame, I’ve often struggled to remain as
positive as I did in high school when my workload was easier. Here, it feels natural to want to
spend more time ranting and complaining about the difficulties adjusting here. However, I’ve
realized that I don’t want to be the person that only talks about the negatives anymore.It is
important that I instead realize how grateful I am to be a school like Notre Dame.

Furthermore, I want my friends to be the type of people who uphold this optimistic
mindset. I deserve to be around people who make me feel and act my best. Thankfully, I feel
that the friends I have now very much reflect these ideals. These relationships are the most
life-giving and will help me live a more fulfilling college experience.

(“Signs of a Toxic Friendship ” by Olivia Taylor - Moreau FYE Week Four)

Week 5 - Identifying Narratives
Root Belief: I believe that my time is precious and that I should spend it with the people I love.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=UniversityofNotreDameCampusMinistry
https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/relationships/signs-of-toxic-friendships/


Back in Seattle, I never had to make the effort to actively sustain my friendships with
people. I would always see my friends and family at school and home, so I never felt the
responsibility to reach out and plan time to spend with them. However, at Notre Dame I’ve been
feeling like I haven’t been making enough time for the people I care about. When talking about
the lessons she learned in quarantine, Laetare Medalist Carla Harris mentioned, “I rejoice
because we have all learned how precious time is and that it is the most important asset that
you have.”

While I can’t ignore the importance of staying on top of my school work here (even this
integration itself is an assignment!), I also need to take a break from studying at times and call
my friends and family. My friends and family are incredibly crucial to me and only will my life be
lived to the fullest when I continue these relationships.

(“Laetare Medalist Address” by Carla Harris - Moreau FYE Week Five)

Week 6 - Identifying Influences
Root Belief: I believe that I should be proud of the history and culture that has formed me.

Writing the poem for this week reminded me of many of the assignments I had during
high school. One of the topics  my creative writing assignments focused on my racial identity
and how I’ve struggled to be fully proud of my background. As I’ve grown older, I’ve become
more and more appreciative of my Korean heritage, but it's definitely taken a lot of effort. I do
think that connecting with my racial identity at Notre Dame will be harder as the school does
have a much smaller Asian population than I’m used to. Nevertheless, it is not an option to
retreat into insecurity. Now more than ever, it is crucial I embrace my Koreaness and carry that
pride during my time here.

Week 7 - Identifying Perspectives
Root Belief: I believe that to pursue the truth, I must actively work to expose myself to diverse
perspectives.

Coming from a school with much more diversity racially, I was a little nervous to come to
Notre Dame. I had worried that I was going to feel confined to a community that wouldn’t
embrace diversity the way my high school had. What I realized during our Moreau discussion
that I hadn’t thought about before however is the fact that there are different types of diversity
that I can expose myself to here. Don’t get me wrong, racial diversity is incredibly important.
However there is a lot of value in geographic diversity that I can find at Notre Dame that I wasn’t
able to in Seattle. Here, I have the opportunity to learn from peers who hail internationally, from
large cities or even rural neighborhoods.

It’s quite often for kids in the city to make harmful jokes about those who live in rural
areas. Indeed, there is this harmful narrative out there about the “redneck,” a stereotype that
strips individuals of the other aspects of their identity. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk
reminds us that in order to fully see someone we can’t reduce them to a simple stereotype.  Like
Adichie says, “the consequence of the single story is that it robs people of dignity.” Thus I must

https://youtu.be/UjSwjn-SyB4


work to listen to those who come from different locations than me. Pursuing the truth is a long
process we must all constantly be involved in.

(“Danger of A Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Moreau FYE Week Seven)

https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story